Biopesticide Use Quadrupled From 2000 To 2012

Biopesticide Use Quadrupled From 2000 To 2012

Biopesticides are on the up and up in U.S. agriculture as confirmed by recent data from EPA.

“The use of biopesticides in U.S. agriculture has more than quadrupled lately, going from 900,000 pounds of active ingredient applied in 2000 to 4.1 million pounds in 2012, the most recent year for which we have data,” EPA Assistant Administrator Jim Jones writes in a recently published blog post, “Farmers Shift Towards Virtually Non-Toxic Alternatives for Pest Control.” Jones says nearly 18 million acres are now being treated with biopesticides.

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“Biopesticides have long been used in organic farming, but their use in conventional farming is growing now as well,” Jones writes. “We created a new division focused on raising the profile of biopesticides and helping them to get licensed. Our Biopesticides Division has registered about 150 biological active ingredients and, in partnership with the USDA, awarded over 70 grants across the country to research biopesticides for specialty and minor crops.”

Robert McNally, Director of EPA’s Office of Pesticide Programs, Biopesticides and Pollution Prevention Division (BPPD), is a scheduled presenter at the Biocontrols 2015 Conference & Tradeshow, March 3-5, 2015, in Fresno, CA.

Jim Steadman is Field and Online Editor for Cotton Grower magazine. He has spent more than 35 years in agricultural writing and marketing. See all author stories here.